The Blue Room at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire. Hardwick Hall was built in the late 16th century for Bess of Hardwick.

Born in the quiet hills of Derbyshire, Elizabeth Hardwick—known to history as “Bess of Hardwick”—rose to become one of the wealthiest and most influential women in Elizabethan England. Through four strategic marriages, keen business sense, and sharp political instincts, Bess secured power and status in a world dominated by men. After marrying Sir William Cavendish, Bess acquired the Chatsworth estate and began a lifelong passion for building and property. Her later marriage to George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, placed her at the heart of national politics. The couple orchestrated dynastic marriages between their children and became embroiled in the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots—an assignment that ultimately fractured their marriage. Defiant and independent, Bess returned to Derbyshire and constructed her crowning achievement: the magnificent Hardwick Hall, “more glass than wall.” From there, she championed her granddaughter Arbella Stuart as a potential heir to the English throne, navigating the dangerous politics of succession with remarkable skill. Carol Ann Lloyd will explore Bess’s extraordinary rise, her role in Tudor court life, and her enduring legacy as a masterful strategist, builder, and matriarch of a powerful dynasty.

Carol Ann Lloyd, is a popular speaker who shares the stories of Shakespeare and English history. She is the former Manager of Visitor Education at Folger Shakespeare Library, where she gave workshops and tours about Shakespeare and Early Modern England. Her podcast, British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics, explores the lives of famous and infamous characters in history. Her book Tudors by the Numbers was published in 2023, and her latest book is Courting the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and Her Suitors. Carol Ann has presented programs at the Smithsonian, Folger Shakespeare Library, Agecroft Hall, and TEDx, among other venues. Ms. Lloyd is a member of the National Speakers Association.

Tickets: $35 members*; $45 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account